


More Than Meets the Eye

by Softlynot



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: F/M, Minor Character Death, minecraft au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-09
Updated: 2014-08-06
Packaged: 2018-02-08 03:15:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 13,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1924638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Softlynot/pseuds/Softlynot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lindsay always knew her husband’s work was dangerous and life-threatening, fully aware he was often gone months at a time. But when it’s been over a year without his or his five traveling companions’ return, she knows something is wrong. With just about no way of contacting him she sets off alone to find him. On the way she meets a few new friends who she learns might me more nuisances than help.<br/>As her journey continues she finds there might be more to this than a simple “missing persons”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Hunch

**Author's Note:**

> Hi yes I'm not sure how many people were following my other story, but I'm probably going to discontinue it for multiple reasons. one being having to watch and rewrite scenes from the movie it's based off of was really time consuming and frankly uncreative.  
> so again apologies to anyone actually following it  
> For now take a team thug + Kerry centric story cos these guys don't get enough love

Lindsay wasn't a clingy person. She understood the cost of falling in love with a man like Michael Jones. She made it clear she didn't mind him going off on journeys for extensive periods of time with his ragtag group of friends. Of course her only rule was that he kept in contact by sending a simple letter or souvenir. In fact, one time he sent her the pelt of a bear he'd slain durring one of their shinanigans having to to with killing mobs, which she'd lovingly sewn into a cape for him. For most of their relationship he'd managed to keep that promise.

There comes a time in one's life when they're 100% sure about something. And right now, Lindsay was sure something was wrong. Call it an intuition or call it common sense, she was sure she wasn't being paranoid when her husband hadn't sent any form of clarification he was alive in the past fourteen months. 

Lindsay wasn't an idiot either. She knew fully well she couldn't just drop everything and aimlessly go looking. No, she needed a plan. From her understanding they had headed in search of an altar rumored to be inhabited by a forest made entirly of gold. She'd had a lot of research to do before she even tried to look for them seeing as the group of men themselves weren't exactly sure where it was. 

Soon fourteen months turned into fifteen and still no word from Michael. Now educated with as much known knowledge about said altar, Lindsay grabbed one of her husband's many diamond swords, the bow one of his buddies Gavin had given him as a gift- along with arrows, her sunset red cape, and many other essentials such as a map and food. After equipping her armor and fastening the cape around her neck, she set out.

Something well know about Michael was that he was strong. Many would argue that out of the six companions his strength was overwhelmingly superior. This didn't mean his friends weren't. Each man brought an aspect to the group that benefitted them. So if Lindsay's hunch is correct and they're in danger, she'll need to be prepared to face her potential doom. 

But she was confident, because something known about Lindsay was that she had mental strength. She had a drive that led her to success. 

So as she took the first step out her door she knowingly left behind her life of luxury. There was no telling when-or if- she'd see her and Michael's little cottage in Achievement City again. But she wasnt worried, because Lindsay was ready.


	2. No One Likes a Peeper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 400+ words isn't enough for me plus I seriously HATE it saying 1/1 chapters so I grace you with a bit of character development on Lindsay's relationships with the other guys along with Lindsay meeting Caleb for the first time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really enjoy putting subtle little references throughout the story see if you can find them ovo

As night fell Lindsay seriously began regretting leaving in the afternoon. She hadn't even covered half of what she'd hoped she would cover on her first day. Sighing, she continued constructing a fire pit for the night, not much could be done now. 

After the pit was ignited she pulled out one of her apples to eat. Usually she ate more for dinner, however she wanted her food to last because there was no way of knowing if food would be as plentiful to find as she prayed it would be. As she munched on the apple she recollected her last conversation with Michael.

\---

"You're sure you'll be ok? This quest seems a bit different from the rest..." 

"Lindsay." He'd cupped her cheeks and given her a peck on the lips. "I'll be fine. I'm Mogar for god's sake! I can handle anything."

She had frowned, "That's what you'd said when you guys competed in thunderdome and you came home pale and unable to be alone for days."

Michael had chuckled, an embarrassed blush creeping across his face, "I doubt we'll see any ghosts. And besides, it wasn't that bad, you shoulda' seen Gavin. The idiot nearly pissed himself."

At that se hadn't been able to help but smile. She remembered quite fondly the group's "idiot" rambling on for weeks about the ghost they'd seen that had looked like Ray. Even now the topic was often brought back up occasionally. "Alright." She sighed, "But still be careful. I expect Ryan will keep an eye on you."

Michael scoffed, "Man that's all I hear now a days 'Ryan, Ryan, Ryan.' If I didn't know any better I'd think you might be cheating on me with him." He had laughed nervously then added, "You aren't are you? Cos' man if you are, I don't know how I'd compete."

"Oh my god, no." She'd mused, "He's a childhood friend and that's it." It was true, The group's "madman" was more of a brother to her, never once had she thought romantically of him. 

"Shit I was hoping you'd say yes so it wouldn't be so awkward to tell you I'm also seeing Geoff."

She had laughed and smacked him, "Shut up." Geoff was their leader and Lindsay loved to point out how much of a kiss ass Michael was towards him. 

After another round of kisses, Michael had headed off.

If she had known that would be their last exchange Lindsay would have made it a lot more cheesier.

\---

A rustling in the bushes followed by a hushed, "Damn it" brought Lindsay back to the present. She stood and grabbed her sword, pointing it at the bush. "Show yourself." She stated.

A few moments passed and a man came out in a nurse's outfit. Lindsay had to hold back a laugh seeing how the shirt was way too big making it seem more like a dress.

The man gave a nervous smile and waved, "Uh hi. I can explain why I was watching you."

Lindsay arched her eyebrows, a bit of anger flaring up, "You were watching me?!"

The man chuckled nervously and held up his hands in defense, "Y- yes and no. Yes as in I was watching you. No as in not in a perverted was, more of a holy shit an actual person. I wanted to just come out an introduce myself, but you're pretty stacked, a- and intimidating might i add, so I got nervous and hid."

"Hmm." Lindsay lowered her sword a little an weighed her options. One one hand she could get a kick out of scaring this weenie away, and on the other hand she could not do that. Being the kindhearted woman she is she sat back down and patted the floor next to her, "Sit." 

The man beamed an quickly took a seat. "Wow, that was a lot easier than I thought. Just think if I'd just done that we could have avoided that whole awkward exchange."

Deciding to ignore that because it was awkward and really didn't need to be brought up so soon, she brought up the elephant in the room. "So, you a real nurse?" 

He blinked, a bit confused, but then caught on, "Oh! Yeah. I'm a nurse, ill be a full on doctor pretty soon. In fact I was just coming back from treating a patient when I got lost in this forsaken area."

She gave him a crooked smile, "Nice." There was a moment of silence. And it was painstakingly obvious he wanted to ask her why she was in the wilderness alone. "If you want to know, I'm off find someone special."

He laughed, "Aren't we all."

She rolled her eyes, "I'm looking for my husband, he and five other men kinda dropped off the radar a little over a year ago."

"Oh."

"Eh, they're a group of love able idiots. Probably just got stuck in a hole somewhere." 

There was another spell of silence before anyone spoke up again, "...would it e ok if I tagged along?" When she gave him a quizzical look he continued, "We'll it could get pretty dangerous, and what if you get hurt?"

'Having someone with medical experience would be useful, why not.' She thought.

"Alright."

The man blinked in surprise, "Seriously?"

She nodded, "Yeah. Strength in numbers, y'know? However it might help if I knew your name." She held out her hand, "Mines Lindsay by the way."

The man grinned and shook it, "Caleb."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Caleb screen peeking reference


	3. Alone Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of Caleb's backstory + bonding plus outfit sketch of Lindsay 
> 
> from now on I'll probably update on Fridays however ironically I'm going on vacation for a few days so I'm posting a pretty short chapter now

 

As dawn broke on the start of the pair's adventure both still slept, their belongings scattered and hair taking on a life of their own. It would be another three hours before Caleb awoke. He slowly sat up and looked around, his eyes landing on the woman a few feet away.  _Lindsay_ he recollected. A pang of guilt struck him as he continued to watch her sleep. This was because he hadn't been entirely honest with her. Yes, he was a nurse, but he had no legal degree in medicine. All his knowledge came from his grandfather who had been a doctor. He also lied about coming back from a patient, sort of. His grandfather had recently passed away from an illness Caleb had tried with all his might to cure. Struck with grief, he had fled his village, convinced they deserved someone better to take the doctor's place. Now was a time to start new and forget all his pain. And hey, even if his new partner- if they could even be called that yet- found out it wasn't like it would chance her opinion on him. ...Would it?

Deciding not to dwell on it any longer, Caleb looked up at the sky, realizing Lindsay might want to leave soon.  _She's doing me a huge favor without even realizing it. I'd better start repaying it._  With that, he sat up and collected their belongings. After he was finished, he stood back and admired his work. Their belongings were neatly tucked away into their respected bags and were ready to be equipped. Suddenly there was a faint _cluck_ behind him and he turned to see a chicken wandering around. He quickly grabbed Lindsay's sword and ran after it. Luckily the chicken had wandered off a bit, because when he caught up to it he discovered its nest, which contained three eggs. Giving a triumphant laugh he took the eggs, stuffing it in a container on his belt and ran off, dismayed clucks echoing behind him. 

When he reached their makeshift camp he chuckled to himself once more, looking back to see if the chicken had followed him. When he turned back around, however, he was met with something much more dangerous than a chicken. An arrow was pointed right at his face, its archer no other than Lindsay. "What the hell are you doing with Kazooie?"

"Kazooie? Like... _vvt vvt ,_  Kazoo?"

Lindsay rolled her eyes, lowering the bow a little. Then she quickly raised it back up, "The sword, moron."

"Oh!" Caleb dropped the sword and reached into his belt-container, giving her a smug grin. He revealed the eggs, "Breakfast!" he exclaimed.

 

\---

 

Three scrambled eggs later the two stood packed up and ready to go. Lindsay place her hand on Caleb's shoulder, "Hey, I'm really sorry about accusing you of stealing my sword."

Caleb gave her a friendly grin, "Water under the bridge."

"No but seriously, if we're going to be traveling companions, we'll need to trust each other, and I haven't been doing the best job at that. Here, if we end up getting separated you'll need a weapon." She pulled the bow and arrows off their resting place and handed them to him, "It's dangerous to go alone." Caleb gratefully accepted the gift.

The two continued walking for a while until Caleb suddenly stopped. When Lindsay turned to look at him he looked her in the eyes. "Hey, let's make a promise."

She tilted her head, a bit confused, "What kind of promise?"

"A promise that we'll keep each other safe no matter what." To Caleb's dismay, Lindsay ha began laughing, claiming the promise to be 'gay'. "Seriously Lindsay! We're a team now. We'll need to have each other's backs.'

After calming down, Lindsay nodded. "I guess you have a point. We'll only have the company of the two of us for quite a while, so I suppose something like this could help us bond. Yeah, Let's protect each other 'till the bitter end."

A pinky finger was held out, "Pinky swear?"

"Pinky swear."

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Banjo-Kazooie reference and Legend of Zelda reference :D


	4. Not as Planned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am a piece of shit when it comes to keeping my word  
> I'm suppose to be relaxing on vacation but instead I'm writing a dumb fan fiction at 10 pm on a Thursday might I add not Friday so yeah it's safe to say I'm jut going to update when I feel like it
> 
> Anywho here's how the story's going to play out. Every 3 chapters a story arch will occur (ie new character) the exceptions will be plot advancing. In between each plot arch is character development. I already have the story planned out and it's estimated to be 21 chapters if I continue with my spout of motivation.  
> Dang this is a long summary

A month passed and the two learned just about everything they were willing to share about each other. Caleb learned about Michael and his five friends along with her last name, Jones, and the adventures they went on while Lindsay learned about some of Caleb's friends and family and his last name, Denecour. They answered each others little trivia questions such as favorite animals and hobbies and even stayed up late at night having deep and meaningful conversations. The two could truly call each other best friends.However in that time they made no progress in locating the altar. 

\---

"Damn it, Lindsay! Get your ass down from there!"

Lindsay, currently high up in a tree, snickered, "You're just jealous that you can't climb up here too." When he just crossed his arms and stood there, she gave him a friendly bird and hopped down.

After emphasizing an eye roll, Caleb pulled out a map, "Anyways, we're running pretty low on food. There's a village nearby so we might be able to trade for some." 

Lindsay nodded in agreement then added, "Maybe we'll be able to find some armor for you."

"I'm fine, foods more important."

"No seriously Caleb, you need armor. We've been pretty lucky so far and have only had to deal with one or two zombies and spiders at a time, but what's going to happen when we reach the darker areas infested with creepers and skelekton archers? You need armor and that's final."

"I guess you're right."

"I'm always right."

\---

When the two reached the village they split off; Caleb in search of food and Lindsay in search of armor and, if she was lucky, another weapon or two. 

"Oh my gosh, wow thank you!" Lindsay giggled for joy. A kind blacksmith had just given her the best deal ever. In exchange for a few emeralds she'd pretty much just found on the floor by accident, he'd given her a chest plate, an iron sword, and a helmet. As she searched for Caleb she noticed a dye shop. You could just see the lightbulb lighting above her head.

\---

"Oh my god, Lindsay, this is so cool! Thank you so much." Caleb currently held his new armor both dyed white with a red cross painted across the helmet. 

Lindsay blushed, "oh you."

"No, seriously, I love it."  
After Caleb put on his new armor the two left the village to continue their journey. The day progressed slowly with nothing note worthy happening. It seemed like forever until the sun finally set and they began setting up camp for the night. The two stayed up for a while, simply chatting.

"Lindsay, you honestly are the bravest person I've ever met." 

"How so?"

Caleb laughed in disbelief, "Well I mean, you went off- alone- in search of six men. And just by the way you described them, they're capable of handling themselves, so whatever happened to then must be pretty bad, and yet here you are searching for them and willing to face whatever dangers come at you!"

She gave him a sad smile, "You may not believe, but even I was scared at first."

"...at first?"

"Well, now I've got you. I'm not sure, but just you being here and giving moral support helps."

"Wow... Lindsay I'm not sure what to say. I guess I just want you to to know, you've done the same for me as I've supposedly done for you. Before I met you I would have never done anything like this."

She chuckled, "I guess we're a good match then."

After that the two sat in a comfortable silence. Lindsay had just began nodding off when suddenly there was a loud explosion not far off. The pair looked at each other and Lindsay whispered, "Creeper." 

Caleb made a grab for his bow, "What set it off?"

Lindsay grabbed her sword, "dunno." They stood up, poised to attack. A few minutes passed without another sound. They were about to sit back down when suddenly the bushes began rustling.

A person in black armor exploded from the bushes, bruised and battered. He looked at the two in front of him before muttering, "Oh fuck everything." And passing out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This reference isn't as obvious, but Lindsay saying "You may not believe but even I was scared at first." Is a reference to on le of my favorite songs called In Our Talons by Bowerbirds


	5. Stranger Danger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You can most likely tell who the stranger is

Lindsay and Caleb stood there in shock. It had happened so fast, neither of them were sure how to react. Slowly Lindsay approached the stranger. He didn't move and Lindsay confirmed he was knocked out cold. She looked back at Caleb. "What the hell do we do?"

He shrugged,"I dunno."

She threw her arms up, "You're the medical expert here! Aren't you suppose to, I don't know, examine him?"

"I guess..."

"Oh my gosh, you fucking weenie, he's out cold! Just get over here!"

Slowly but surely, he shuffled over and stood by her. "Flip him over." He commanded.

"No!"

He smirked, now who's the weenie?"

"Shut up or in a second you'll be knocked out too."

After a few minutes of more bickering, it was finally decided that Caleb would be the one to flip the stranger onto his back. After a few heaves and a joking, "weak" from Lindsay, they were finally able to examine the person and their injuries. A pair of glasses sat crookedly on his face, the left lens cracked. Around his neck was a red scarf made of some type of rough material. His face was littered with soot and dried blood and his heavy black armor, which Caleb observed had a purple outline, restrained him from seeing any injuries that might litter the man's body. He muttered a few curses and began taking the armor off.

Lindsay stared at him in horror, "What are you doing?!"

"Calm down, I just need to see if there's any other injuries."

"What if he's going commando?"

"Going comm- god damn it Lindsay! I don't want tho think about that kind of crap!"

As the two continued bickering about wether or not there was any clothes be eh the armor- and to Caleb's discomfort a short dispute about the man's undercarriage- the stranger slowly began regaining consciousness. He moaned slightly, beginning to feel the full effect of the blast he experienced nearly an hour ago. As his vision slowly cleared as best as it could with a cracked lends, he acknowledged the person crouched over him looking at something else. However as hard as he strained to hear, he couldn't make anything out over the ringing I. His ears. When he finally realized his situation he sprung up, tackling Caleb to the ground.

Caleb yelped in surprise. The man quickly brought a knife to his neck, narrowing his eyes at him. "Who are you and what were you planning to do with me?"

Lindsay was unable to move out of pure shock however the moment she saw the knife she lunged forward, grabbing the man and throwing him off Caleb. He must have not known she was there because when she placed her foot on his chest to pin him down he seemed genuinely surprised. Caleb soon recollected himself and stood by her. "We should be asking you the same question." He retorted. 

The man chuckled, "I mean you no harm, and surely you've recognized my uniform." The two looked at each other and shook their heads. "Seriously? Do the words dragon slayer mean anything to you?"

Caleb snorted, "Dragons aren't real."

"Are too!" The man practically growled. He the. Glared up at Lindsay, "Well, lady, now that we've established that I'm not going to kill you, I think you could let me up."

Wordlessly she lifted her foot off. He stood and gave her a smug look. Oh that was the last straw. She swung her foot out, kicking him swiftly between the legs. He crumbled, whimpering slightly. "Jackass." She muttered.

"Lindsay, why?" Caleb whined

"No one underestimates me."

"But he's injured, Lindsay!"

"Oh, yeah. Whoops."

Caleb sighed and crouched back down besides the man, "Sorry about her."

The man chuckled for a moment before flinching from some undiscovered injury. "Eh, don't worry about it. I probably deserve it."

"I need to examine your injuries. You at least have underwear on right...?" He looked at the man expectantly.

"Kdin, the names Kdin. And yes I have underwear on."

"Alright, Kdin." He began helping him out of his armor. "My names Caleb, and as you might have heard me yell earlier, that's Lindsay."

Kdin looked over at Lindsay, who was still glaring at him, and gave her a small wave. As Caleb continued looking for any serious injuries, Kdin's earlier eruption of adrenalin from the misunderstanding wore off. He yelped in pain she Caleb prodded his back. "Sorry." Caleb murmured. "You are one lucky son of a bitch to walk away from a battle with a creeper with only a few scrapes and a minor singe on your back." 

Kdin smiled at his luck while Lindsay simply rolled her eyes, unimpressed. She almost told the story about Gavin and the time he'd managed to kill and flay a creeper, walking away without a single injury, but decided against it. As she sat off to the side observing the two, she noticed they'd hit it off pretty well. She herself remained weary of Kdin. 

"Alright, you're all good." Caleb confirmed, "however I need to keep an eye on you." 

Kdin nodded in understanding, "... Alright. Yeah I can stay here for a while, got noting better to do while waiting for another dragon to appear besides being blown up."

"We actually aren't staying long either. We're leaving in a f-"

"We're leaving at dawn." Lindsay intercepted.

Caleb glanced at her for a moment before nodding, "We're leaving at dawn. Will you be fine with traveling with us for a while until you're fully healed?"

Kdin wasn't stupid. He knew Lindsay didn't want him here, let alone traveling with them. "Oh, um, no it's ok I'll be ok on my own."

Caleb shook his head, "I really think you should come with us. It's the least we could do to make up for our hostility towards you." He gave Lindsay a challenging look, "We really don't mind, right?"

Lindsay sighed, "No we don't."

"It's settled, you're coming."

And just like that, the two partners became the three amigos. Lindsay wasn't sure why, but Kdin just naturally irritated her. To her dismay, she realized then and there that the three would probably end up becoming great friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really any references this time because i was too lazy


	6. Fight for Your Right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kdin please

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's going to be some time skipping in between some chapters so sorry if it gets a bit confusing

"So.... Are you guys like a thing?"

"Dear lord, no."

The "dragon slayer" had been traveling with them for nearly two months now. His injuries had healed long ago, but he sort of just blended into the mix. After getting to know him better, Lindsay lightened up a bit, however she still didn't fully trust him and there was still times she felt like choking him.

"Really? But you two seem to fit so well together."

"Kdin, kindly fuck off."

To his defense, Lindsay had never stated she was married to him. In fact she had stayed pretty vague about the pair's quest in general. He had only gotten snippets of their plan in the dead of night when they thought he was sleeping. 

"Can I help you plan the route tonight?"

"What?"

"I know you guys secretly do stuff while I sleep, let me help!"

"Uh, sure I guess?"

"Caleb!" Lindsay mentally slapped herself, automatically regretting her outburst.

Kdin stopped what he was doing and glared at her, "What you don't trust me?" He scoffed at the look of surprise Lindsay gave her and continued, "Yeah, it's pretty easy to tell how you feel about me. And I don't know why! I haven't done anything to make you distrust me! And don't give me, 'I just am naturally distrusting'. Caleb's told me how you met!" He gave Caleb an apologetic glance, "No offense to him, but he was practically stalking you, yet you became like best friends only five minutes later!

After a 'no offense taken' from Caleb, he continued. "I owe you pretty badly for practically saving my life, and if helping you find some good-for-nothing dumbasses who got got, so be it!"

Kdin shouted in surprise when a sword was brought to his throat. On the end of it stood Lindsay, with a gaze that could kill. "Don't you ever FUCKING bad mouth my husband and friends again or I'll personally take the life you owe us." She withdrew her sword and stalked off, most likely to blow off some steam.

Kdin looked at Caleb in fear. Caleb himself merely blinked in surprise, "Man. I've never seen her get that mad before."

Kdin rubbed the back if his neck, "I'm not sorry for lashing out at her, though if I could take back what I said about the people your looking for I would."

Caleb nodded, "You were pretty out of line, but so was she. To be honest I think she doesn't trust you because you seem capable of fending for yourself." He signed and continued before Kdin could retaliate, "Oh well, why don't we get started on planning a route like you wanted."

Kdin gave a weak smile and crawled over, sitting next to Caleb. "Alright. Well first, where you guys heading?"

"The thing is, we aren't completely sure where it is. Her husband and his crew were searching for it when it disappeared." He pulled out some papers out off Lindsay's backpack. "Not much is known about it except that its a sort of shrine and is said to have an ecosystem made entirely out of gold, animals not included."

"Wait... You wouldn't happen to be talking about the Altar, would you?"

"Yea- wait." Caleb did a double take. "You've heard of it?"

Kdin nodded excitedly, "Yeah I know a guy who's been there! Said he traveled there with some guys and saw it. He even brought back a golden tree as proof!"

Caleb laughed in disbelief, "Holy shit! We got ourselves out first lead! Lindsay's going to be so happy!" He patted Kdin on the shoulder, "Tell me about the guy."

"Well, he's a sorcerer in training named Kerry..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No reference this chapter unless you count "got got"


	7. Amendments and Enchantments

Lindsay had been absolutely delighted by the news. She laughed in delight, "Kdin, you beautiful bastard!" without thinking, she ran up to him and embraced him in a hug. 

Kdin blinked in surpries and looked at her to see she was sniffling in his armor. "Hey," he breathed, "it's ok."

She looked at him, her eyes now puffy from crying, "Yeah." She murmured, "it is now."

after a long apology from Kdin and nights spent getting to know each other the two had finally started warming up to each other. 

\--

They reached the home that Kerry resided in within the month. As they approached him home, Lindsay and Caleb gasped in awe. Just as Kdin had said, a solid gold tree stood rooted in front of the house.

"you would think someone would try and steal it." Caleb mused aloud.

"Nope." Kdin responded, "enchantments."  
He then picked up a pebble that had been laying around and chucked it at the tree. Before it had even come within a foot of the tree, there was a spark and the pebble was gone in a puff of smoke. 

"Woah" Lindsay and Caleb said in unison.

They reached the door and Kdin knocked. Almost immediately the door is flung open to reveal a man shorter than the three of them. He open his arms, "Kdin!" He shouted 

Kdin mimicked the move, "Kerry!" The two embrace.

Caleb nudged Lindsay and whispered, "This is the all powerful wizard-man Kdins been talking up?"

Lindsay merely shrugged, unable to answer the question.

After the twos little moment Kerry turned to the two, "Who are they?"

"Oh!" Kdin exclaimed, "This is Lindsay and Caleb. They need to get to the Altar."

"Why." Kerry questioned almost immediately after Kdin finished his sentence.

"Personal reasons." Lindsay intervened.

Kerry was quiet for a few moments. His gaze seemed to darken for just a moment before it was once again cheery. "Ok sure. I can take you there. But it's going to be at least a two month journey, that ok with you?" Lindsay nodded. Caleb glanced at her before nodding as well. "Alright, we'll come in, come in. I will just need to get packed and we'll leave tomorrow morning."

Kerry's home was filled with tons on knickknacks and trophies. Something that had caught Lindsay's eyes was a futuristic looking helmet with turquoise lines painted in certain places. Kerry had explained that was from the time he had spent caught up in some civil war. 

Kerry had treated them to dinner and then showed them a nearby inn they could stay at that war run by a dear friend of his and his wife. After getting comfortable in bed for the first time in months, they began drifting off to sleep.

Except for Lindsay, who lay awake, unable to sleep knowing her husband may be within reach. "Don't worry, Michael." She breathed, "I'm coming."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayy Palomo reference 
> 
> Sorry I've been lacking on long chapters and decent references
> 
> But the next couple of chapters are gonna be long and jam packed with references I swear


	8. Traveling Montage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty, this chapter is just going to be little snippets of their journey and general build up for the climax the real shit starts going down in the next few chapters

After paying the inn keeper, a humble man named Miles, the trio returned to Kerry's house. He rushed out to meet them, a small bag in tow. Lindsay found it odd that he would need so little to last him two months there and two months back, but she didn't dare question it. Kerry came to a stop and pulled out a map, handing it to Kdin, who then handed it off to her. She unfolded it to find it looked exactly the same as hers, only there was a huge red circle in the center of the map.

Caleb pointed to it, "What's this?"

"That, my good man, would be the Altar of Pimps."

It was obvious that the statement was suppose to be melodramatic, however Caleb couldn't hold in a laugh. "Altar  _of Pimps ?_ That's a unique name, don't you think?" Kdin joined in making fun of the name while Kerry just stood there looking confused and slightly offended.

This was going to be a long two months.

\--

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"...Are we clo-"

"Kdin, let me explain this in a way maybe you'll understand. I said it would take two months to get there. Right?"

"Yeah."

"It's been a week."

"Oh."

Lindsay couldn't help but chuckle at seeing someone else besides herself irritated with Kdin. It was a huge lift off her shoulders to know someone else would be keeping Kdin in line besides herself. Kerry had easily proved his worth to the group. Each night he provided enchantments to ward off dangerous mobs and his extensive knowledge on plants and whether they were safe to eat or not helped them immensely when gathering food. She glanced at Caleb, who hadn't seemed to notice the exchange, and frowned. Ever since they'd begun backtracking, Caleb had become uncharacteristically quiet. She made a mental note to ask him about it later when she could get him alone.

 

\--

 

The four sat around a blazing fire, they sat making idle chat for a good few hours. The flame never dulled, thanks to a few fire enchantments from Kerry of course. Kdin nudged said person. "Hey Kerry, tell us about the Altar!"

Lindsay nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah, is it as breathtaking as it sounds?"

He nodded, "Yeah, it's a life changing experience." The flame seemed to dance, giving Kerry a more intense look. "It's been hidden by incredibly strong enchantments. If you know the right spell, then the enchantment will break temporarily. The Altar itself, is  _huge_. Bigger than anything I've ever seen and It's caked in snow making it a beautiful sight. and the inside..." he paused for dramatic affect, maybe a little too long.

"Get on with it!" Kdin shouted. It was easy to tell he very enthralled by the story. In fact, they all were.

Kerry laughed, "Alright, alright. The inside is nothing like you ever imagine, It looks like it was made by a god. Literally everything is gold. You would think it's all fake. Nope. Everything is alive the trees, the grass, everything. One of the guys I had been traveling with had described it as 'pimping', and the name kinda stuck."

They sat in silence, taking in Kerry's description.

"Wow..." Lindsay breathed. She then began fantasizing about taking a rock and having Geoff's wife sculpt them into a pair of earrings.

"Tell us about the guys you traveled with." Kdin commanded next.

Kerry furrowed his eyebrows, "Oh, um... hm. It's been so long, I can't really remember much about them, sorry."

Kdin shrugged, not too bothered by it. "Eh, whatever. What have you been doing lately?"

"Well, after I returned from the Altar, not much really noteworthy happened. I mean parting with those guys was pretty hard. But eventually I settled with forming my own little personal zoo out of things I rescued."

Not much was really said after that because no one had the guts to tell him that was really lame.

\--

 

It wasn't until the end of their first month that Lindsay finally got a moment alone with Caleb. Kdin and Kerry had gone out to get some fresh water, leaving the two at their most recent camp. "Hey, Caleb."

"Yeah?" He answered idly, his mind elsewhere.

"Caleb."

He turned to her, "What, Lindsay?"

She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, "Are you alright? You haven't been yourself lately."

"Yeah, I guess I have, huh?"

"Why?"

 He shrugged, "I'm not entirely sure. Just something about this seems off. I know it sounds crazy, but- I don't know! I just- ARGH." he ran his hands through his hair. "I feel like something bad is going to happen, but I don't know what and it's frustrating the hell out of me!"

She gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, "I'm nervous too, I mean I have no idea what could have gotten my husband."

He shook his head, "No... That's not what I mean. It's, something is really wrong here. It's just right in front of my face and I can't figure it out!"

Lindsay sighed, she just didn't know what to say. She could only pray Caleb got out of this anxious state soon.

 

 

He didn't. In fact, to Lindsay's dismay, he only got worse as they got closer to the Altar. He had become extremely jumpy and began taking night watches, "just to be cautious" he had explained, "anything could be out there."

 

\--

 

Caleb understood why Lindsay was so worried about him. His habits as of late haven't exactly been healthy, however he couldn't help it. He felt as if he was on the brink of cracking something very vital. Something about this whole ordeal was fishy, like someone wasn't giving the entire truth. He hated the fact that the second month was already ending, yet he hadn't discovered anything that might ease his mind. 

Kerry suddenly stopped and grinned, "We're here." 

The three looked around, observing they were in a large, very empty, pasture. "I don't see anything." Kdin commented.

"Enchantments, remember?" Kerry then began murmuring words that didn't seem english. He progressively got louder and soon the ground began to shake. To their amazement, what must have been an invisible wall about seven feet high was lifted, revealing a dazzling gold scenery. Kerry motioned for him to follow, "Come on, we don't have too long, it's only temporary."

As they entered, Caleb's anxiety returned, and he began doubting quite a few decisions in the past few months, such as, why did Kdin suggest Kerry bring them here if it was doubtful that the people Lindsay were looking for were still here? An- "Holy Shit." he gasped. How could he have been so blind? Suddenly all the pieces came together and it all made sense. He ran to Lindsay, "Lindsay, we have to get out of here, right now!"

Lindsay looked at him, concerned and slightly startled, "What? Why? What's going on?"

He was already dragging her to the exit, "We're in danger, I know who's behind all of this- your husband's disappearance I mean. I can't believe I trusted him so easily! I mean he just doesn't look like the kind of guy who would-"

"Caleb!! What are you talking about? Who's behind it?"

"It's K-"

Suddenly there was a shout from somewhere in the Altar, "Oh, shit! The wall's closing!"

A moment later everything went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so there's two ways this fic can go and I need to decide soon. It can either be a happy ending or everyone can die. I'm thinking I'm going to keep this one happy and leave the sad stuff for another story, but hey, I could change my mind. Who knows.
> 
> Also if anyone is wondering about where Lindsay has been traveling  
> if you looked at a map of achievement city she went from Downtown Achievement City to A little past Creeper Soccer, where she met Caleb to around where Birch Bunker would be, where they met Kdin, and then to AH Farms, where they met Kerry and now they're at the center of the map in the Altar of Pimps


	9. C'est la Vie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The shocking revelation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure I care about the way this chapter was written, i feel like i should have made this two separate chapters, but oh well
> 
> also c'est la vie means that's life if you were wondering

Lindsay groaned and rubbed her head. _When did I pass out?_ She opened her eyes, which were a little- no, a lot- blurry from being closed for who knows how long. With her compromised vision she observed she was in a dimly lit room. "Kdin?" Nothing. "Kerry?" Zip. Her voice dropped into a pleading whisper, "...Caleb?" Nada. She didn't have the courage to stand up so she grabbed her legs and curled into the fetal position. She had no idea how long she was there before she felt her eyelids become too heavy to keep up.

 

 

When she awoke again, someone stood crouched next to her, worry etched upon his face. She scrambled away, causing the man to flinch. It took a moment, but her bleary vision cleared and she was able to look at the man who stood crouched in front of her. He had sandy blonde hair, blue eyes and some weird noble getup. She hadn't seen that face in so long that she almost didn't recognize it. She stared at him with a look of shock and relief for what seemed like eternity before she was able to fumble out the name. "...Ryan?" 

He gave her a weak smile and was about to talk, but before a single noise escaped his mouth someone appeared behind him and tapped his shoulder. When he turned around someone with short, dark brown hair dressed in some pink hood with a checkered black and white print spoke, "Sir Edgar, what would you like me to do with her?"

Without hesitation he replied, "Take her to the cells."

They nodded and hoisted Lindsay up. She didn't fight, too many thoughts swam through her head.  _Why did that person take orders from Ryan? Why was Ryan putting me in a cell? Why was he going by Edgar?_ The apparent minion gingerly put Lindsay in cuffs, not keen on hurting her, seeing as she wasn't fighting back. She looked at Ryan, hoping to find answers, but he kept his back to her. She was then guided out of the room and down a flight of stairs that lead to a hallway with multiple twists and turns. After a while her guide stopped and grabbed a key from her hood, unlocking the cuffs. Lindsay stared at her cuff-free hands, but then her head snapped up when they spoke, "Go."

"...Huh?"

"Go, now. No time to explain."

Lindsay nodded, "Uh, ok. Thanks." She turned and dashed off, but realized moments later she had no idea where she was going. She turned back to ask, but found the hallway empty. She sighed and continued running. Unfortunately everything looked the same, and no matter which way she turned she felt she was just getting herself more lost. Just as she turned the corner, someone else did on the other end, Ryan. 

Lindsay wasn't sure if she should feel relieved or afraid.

 He laughed, "Thank god I found you!" He jogged up to her and reached out for her hand. This was when she decided she should be afraid. This was not the Ryan she knew. His gaze was cold and his eyes were uncharacteristically blue and an eerie smirk etched across his face. "Say, Lindsay. Let's you and me get out of here."

A shiver went down her back and she took a few paces back, only now realizing he had been reaching for his sword with his other hand. "What's happened to you?" She whispered.

"I'm not sure what you mean, my dear  _friend._ " He practically snarled the last word as he unsheathed his sword and slashed out at her. 

She gasped as it grazed her cheek, leaving a nasty cut across her cheek. She took a few more steps back, betrayal displayed across her face, before she sprinted away. She paid no heed to where she was going all she cared about was that her closest friend has just tried to kill her. She didn't care that tears streamed down her face. Heavens knew she deserved the grace of crying her emotions out once in a while. She didn't stop until she slammed into something that sent her to the floor. 

"Lindsay?"

"Kerry?" They laughed and hugged. "I have never been so happy to see you!" she parted from the hug, planting her hands on his shoulders, "Kerry, I have no Idea what's going on, but we have to get out of here." 

He nodded, "Yeah, this place is pretty fucked up. Kdin, Caleb, and I luckily woke up near the exit, but you weren't there and we didn't want to leave you behind. Let's go, they're waiting."

\---

After confusing twists and turns they finally reached a chocolate brown door. Lindsay looked around, not seeing Kdin or Cable,  _they must already be outside, I know I wouldn't want to be in here long._ She walked up to the door and pulled, but it didn't budge. "Huh?" She pulled harder, but it seemed to be locked. "Kerry, what's...?"

"Hey, Lindsay. Have I ever told you about my zoo?"

"Kerry, now is  _really_ not the time!" She turned and gestured at the door, "Now why don't you tell me why this door isn't opening?" He didn't respond, instead simply snapping his fingers. For a moment, nothing happened, but then Lindsay felt her entire body tense and her feet floated three feet off the ground. "What the hell?!"

"We could see it, if you'd like."

"What are you doing? Kerry! Put me down right now!"

Kerry once again snapped his fingers, and her mouth shut, leaving her unable to open it back up. "Oh man, no one's seen my zoo. You came at a good time too, I'm getting three new additions soon."

Lindsay tried struggling, but she literally couldn't move a muscle. He lead her to a green door that lead into a very long hallway, three very long windows were visible from each side. He approached the first one, with Lindsay still floating behind him.

She peered into the grey room. It had a bed as well as something, or someone floating in the center of the room with his back turned to them, his left foot was chained to the ground. "This is one of my prized additions. It's not every day you meet someone who was a descendant from the creator. It was tricky getting him to stay in there, he just kept going invisible and would escape when I opened the door to feed him, so I had to chain him to the door. Wait here, lemme show you some stuff he can do." He walked away, leaving a very confused Lindsay alone. She wasn't sure what to do. All she knew was a crazy Ryan was still roaming around looking for her.  _  
_

Soon, a door opened and Kerry was inside the cell. "Hey, buddy!"

"Don't call me 'buddy'." The man growled. She'd know that voice anywhere.

Geoff.

Lindsay's eyes widened. Holy shit it was Geoff! Did that mean they were all there? Why were they here?

She didn't get to think about it long before Kerry continued talking. "We have a special guest with us, so why don't you preform a little show for us?"

"Go to hell."

Kerry chuckled, "Feisty today, aren't we? Maybe I should get Gavin to preform instead? I know you just love to hear him when he does." Suddenly a dozen swords materialized in front of Geoff and went whizzing at Kerry. They didn't get long before they stopped in mid air and fell to the floor with a clang. Kerry clapped, "Oh, valiant effort, Geoffrey, but no cigar. We'll be off to see Gavin, now." Geoff cried out desperately, causing the room burst into flames, but Kerry seemed unphased.

Moments later he returned to Lindsay and they turned to the window across the way. The room looked similar to Geoff's, only was completely white, making it seem like a void, It contained Gavin. Kerry laughed, "Ok, you're going to get a kick out of this." off to the side was a button, which he pressed. Suddenly the room transformed  into entirely glass. Below the glass was a room filled to the brim with creepers. "It's a maze," Kerry explained, "you can't see the walls because they're glass. If Gavin reaches a dead end, he falls into the blast zone." He looked at Lindsay as if he expected her to speak, but then realized she couldn't. "Oh yeah, duh, you can't talk. Anyhow, I bet you would ask 'If he falls won't the creepers blow him up?' Well to answer your question, before they were put in my zoo, they created a way to respawn when you die. I've used this to my advantage." At than moment Gavin had reached a dead end, and he was dropped into the room. Lindsay cringed as his bloodcurdling scream was cut short as he dropped into a- what must be an obsidian- room and the creepers hissed and blew up around him.

After the explosion, along with Kerry's sickeningly hard laughter, the room returned to normal. Moments later Gavin reappeared on his bed he looked around before beginning to sob hysterically. Lindsay wanted nothing more than to punch Kerry's dumb face and go comfort Gavin, but she couldn't, and she hated it. Now bored with the scene, Kerry moved to the next window. "This guy has been quite a bit of trouble for me, he recently lashed out when I went to feed him, and I couldn't leave that unpunished." 

Lindsay felt like throwing up when she looked at the scene before her and all her thoughts on Ryan were forgotten. Ray stood in the middle of his room, his hand, ankles, and neck were bound by chains painted green with sharp thorns jutting inwards on cuffs, digging into his skin. She could plainly see the dried blood that was plastered all over him. A flower crown covered in thorns and roses was placed on his head as a cruel joke.

"He's still being punished, so no show from him this time."

Kerry had skipped the room containing Jack, explaining he was still injured from the last time he had "preformed". Lindsay shivered, she was afraid to know what had happened. They moved on to the final window, the sixth one being shattered with nothing in it. This time Lindsay really did start crying. Michael stood in the middle of the room, staring right at them. "He's really creepy, but don't worry, all the windows are one way. We can see them, but they can't see us." Kerry offered. Michael's window had two buttons on the side, one containing a microphone under it. Kerry pressed the button and spoke in, "Hello, Mogar. Are you ready for another game? Today I have a real challenger for you." He pressed the other button and a door opened, revealing her savior in pink. "Mar here, has brought three more people here as part of my collection. How do you feel about this?" 

Michael growled and unsheathed his diamond sword. "Mar" also took out their sword, however it was a less impressive iron sword. For a moment nothing happened and the two stared each other down, Mar shaking a bit from nervousness. Suddenly in a flash Michael struck out, impaling the young lad. Mar choked a bit, blood trickling down his lip, before collapsing. Lindsay wanted to cry out, but still couldn't. Kerry simply sighed, "Poor Mar.... Had so much potential, but that's life." He grinned, "Now for my prized possession."

Lindsay cringed at the word 'possession'. They were people, not animals. They continued to the end of the hall and into the room Lindsay had woken up in. A lever sat on the wall and Kerry flipped it. She could hear redstone and pistons working below her feet. suddenly the floor opened up revealing a hole. Kerry walked up, leaving Lindsay floating by the lever. He hopped into the hole and began talking, however he was talking too quietly for her to hear. 

Kerry climbed out on a ladder, Ryan following not long after. Now that Lindsay had no way of moving she was able to get a better look at him. His soft gaze had returned, only he looked as if he hadn't slept in days, with large noticeable bags under his eyes, he was still dressed like a nobleman, maybe even a king now that Lindsay thought about it. 

Upon seeing her, Ryan gasped, "Lindsay!" he cried out. He tried running to her, but Kerry stopped him.

"Wait, you know her?" He looked at Lindsay then cried out, "Oh! They must be the 'personal reasons' you had to want to go to the Altar! How stupid of me not to connect the dots!" He laughed and clapped his hands together, "Oh, that must have been hard watching all that then, BUT that's all water under the bridge, because the gang's all back together." He paused, "Well, not all the gang. I still have two idiots running around." He snapped his fingers and Lindsay dropped to the floor. He made Ryan face him, "Say, Edgar. Mind keeping Lindsay here busy until I find some people? Thanks." He snapped his fingers and vanished.

Ryan continued staring at where Kerry had been. Lindsay stood up, "Ry?" She asked cautiously. "Ryan? Are you alright?"

He turned, that damned smirk on his face once more. He unsheathed his sword and stepped towards her. "Oh, I'm fine." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sorta self-inserted myself with my sweet ass Madotsuki mincraft skin (which had been a bit modified for the story) because I don't particularly have any oc's and couldn't really imagine any of the rt people being Kerry's minion 
> 
> also a lil mad ryan because I am a sucker
> 
> \--
> 
> The cliff hanger last chapter probably made it pretty obvious it was Kerry, huh?


	10. Great Relief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wonder what happened to Kdin and Caleb hm..?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be uploading the next 5 chapters soon because they're all going to be fairly short
> 
> Also I went and named all the chapters so look out for that

Caleb woke up with a dull pain in his head. As he looked around he realized he had no idea where he was. "Mhm." he sighed, "Yeah. Great. Just... great." He stood up and looked around, finding he was in some hallway. "Lindsay?" He yelled, "Kdin? Kerry? Anyone?" he sighed when he received no answer.

Seeing as he had no other option he walked.

and walked...

 

                and walked...

 

                                  and walked.

 

 Caleb soon noticed everything looked the same, so he had no real way of knowing if he was just going in circles or not. He groaned, lightly pulling on his hair in frustration. As he rounded the next corner he noticed a door that didn't seem like it belonged there. He rushed over to the door, ready to burst through it, but then got a second wind. He had no idea what was behind here, it could be a bushel of mobs, or whoever brought them here. He stood there for a minute or two before he heard a voice. _  
_

_come on, Caleb! Don't be a little bitch._

Lindsay. That was Lindsay's voice. Suddenly a burst of courage welled through him. "Ok, you got this." he muttered to himself. Before he could back out once more he swung the door open and stepped inside, only to be met with a pair of cold arms wrapping themselves around his neck. Caleb struggled to get out of the grasp with no prevail. He finally groaned in defeat, his 20 seconds of courage running out.

"You're not that fuck, Kerry. Are you one of his new henchmen?" The voice growled

"What? No! Why would Kerry have henchmen?" Caleb responded.

He tightened his grip. "You an accomplice then?"

"No! ...yes. Maybe?" Caleb was getting really confused. What did this man have to do with Kerry?

"You better start making some fucking sense, dude."

"I know him," Caleb choked out, "but I'm not some henchman of his or whatever!"

Suddenly his captor's iron grip released, leaving Caleb gasping for air.

"Did he bring you here too?" the man softly asked.

Once Caleb had caught his breath he turned to look at the man. He had disheveled black hair and a tired, defeated expression on his dull blue eyes. He was wearing some kind of green armor, iron presumably, and he could see the end of a sleeve of tattoos poking out on each wrist. It took a moment, but the man's appearance was finally connected to countless stories Lindsay had told on restless nights. "Holy shit." he breathed, "You're Geoff Ramsey."

The man furrowed his eyebrows and crossed his arms, "Yeah, what of it?"

Caleb laughed in disbelief, "Holy shit, it's really you!" He looked over the man once again, just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating and this was in fact  _the_ Geoff Ramsey in front of him, "It's an honor! My name's Caleb, and you don't know how long we've been looking for you. Holy crap, Lindsay's going to be so happy I f-"

"Wait." Geoff interjected. "Lindsay as in Lindsay Jones?"

Caleb nodded excitedly, "Yes! She's spent so many months looking for you and...  _oh."_  He looked around the room, finally realizing Geoff was alone. "Isn't there five more of you?"

Geoff nodded solemnly, "Yeah, but I have no idea where they are. That sick fuck, Kerry is keeping them somewhere."

"I know, I was able to put the pieces together."

"Ok cool, then I don't have to explain, we don't have time anywho. If Lindsay's here too, she's in danger. We have to get the rest of my guys and find Lindsay before Kerry does." 

Thankfully in their struggle, the door had stayed open. The two ran out and into the maze of hallways in search of Geoff's five idiots.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gos h thanks ssoo much for all the kudos and super sweet comments  
> i can't describe how happy I am <3


	11. Rescue N' Jet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> -Throws rose petals everywhere-  
> thinking of a title was really hard
> 
>  
> 
> also it's really late so the other three short chapters will be posted tomorrow

Unlike Lindsay and Caleb, Kdin had been awake and wandering the grey for quite a while. In fact, unlike his two companions, he was fully aware of their situation. He narrowed his eyes, bitter remembrance sparking behind his lenses.

 

 

\---

 

 

"Oh shit! The walls closing!" Kdin had shouted, just as the huge doors had hurtled towards the ground. There was a sound of struggling, then silence. Suddenly there was a flicker and millions of torches throughout the Altar were lit, revealing Kerry standing besides an unconscious Lindsay and Caleb.

Kerry looked at Kdin, "Shit... Ok, hi. I can explain."

Kdin crossed his arms, "Enlighten me."

"Ok, I'm... uh, the keeper of the Altar, and it's my job to make sure no mortal sets foot in it."

Kdin began reaching for his sword, "That's bullshit and you know it."

Kerry nodded in agreement. "You're right, you're right. You deserve a better explanation, and that's..." he paused, thinking of an excuse.

As Kdin waited, he slowly began piecing things together from what Kerry had said throughout the time he'd known the guy.

_"I traveled here with some other guys."_

_"It was hard for us to part."_

_"Oh, I have a personal zoo at home."_

Kdin's eye widened at the sudden realization. "Hey Kerry."

"What?"

"What ever happened to the guys you came here with before?"

"Kdin. You of all people should know I'm not comfortable with that topic."

He ignored the remark. Instead, he questioned, "Is the same thing going to happen to Lindsay and Caleb?"

Suddenly Kerry's expression drastically changed to that dark look he's worn the first time the trio had mentioned the altar to him. Quick as lightning, Kerry's hand shot out and Kdin's vision blackened.

 

\---

 

Kdin halted in front of a red door. He slowly opened it and peeked inside, he gasped in horror at the man in front of him. At the sudden noise the man turned his head, seemingly taking a lot of effort. Kdin saw him slowly blink behind a pair of smudged and cracked glasses. 

Kdin took in the scene for a moment, unsure what to do. The man in front of him was being bound by chains from multiple angles. He quickly took out his sword and cut away at them. Once the man was no longer being restricted, he collapsed. Kdin rushed to his side. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." the man mused, "Just resting my eyes."

Catching on to the sarcasm, Kdin began examining the cuffs, seeing if there were any way to get them off the man. To his disappointment, there wasn't. He sat there for a moment, judging what the best move would be. "Hey, can you stand?" He finally asked.

The man, still face first on the floor, shook his head. "No, sorry. Being in my condition for what must have been a year or so kinda takes a toll on you."

Kdin nodded in understanding, "Ok well, I have to get you out of here. What if you put all your weight on me?" Without waiting for an answer, Kdin hoisted the man up. Unsurprisingly he didn't weigh too much. The man winced slightly as he shifted his weight, but then relaxed. They then slowly made their way out of the room. 

They walked in silence for a while, before the man spoke up again, "Hey, if you see any other doors, mind going into them?"

Kdin nodded, "Sure, ok."

After another spout of silence Kdin decided to try and break the ice. "The name's Kdin Jenzen. You?"

"Ray Narvaez Jr."


	12. Justice Prevails

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack is literal sunshine i swear

_Jack stood tall and proud, his trusty axe poised for strike, despite all the gashes and bruises that littered his body. Across from him stood Ryan-_ _or Edgar now Jack thought bitterly. Ryan had always been closest to Kerry, so it wasn't too big of a surprise that he had joined the son of a bitch. However, even though there was so much against Ryan at the moment, he still tried to be hopeful that his friend had some explanation for turning on them._

_"Ryan, why are you doing this?" He pleaded with the sandy blond man._

_He received no answer, instead Ryan lunged at him once more, Jack easily blocking the attack. The two had been going at this for what must have been an hour now, but neither refused to give._

_"Ryan,_ please _, just say something!"_

_Ryan recoiled from the block, fixing his stance, and lunging again, and again, and again. The man seemed to have endless energy, the cuts and slashes unintentionally inflicted by Jack not even phasing him. After so long, Jack's energy began waning. Blocking the seemingly infinite flow of strikes was taking a toll on him._

_"Don't you even care that you're trying to kill one of your best friends?"_

_Once more the man lunged, this time Jack was unable to block it, causing the swing to go straight across his chest. Jack winced and took a step back, stumbling on his feet and collapsing onto the cold ground. He instinctively brought his hands to his chest in an attempt to stop the bleeding._

_A voice echoed through the room. "Edgar, that's enough."_

_Ryan physically relaxed and looked around the room. When his eyes landed on Jack he took a sharp intake. "Jack! Holy shit are..." He looked down at the bloodstained sword he was currently wielding and dropped it, causing a loud clang when it hit the floor. His voice dropped to barely a whisper. "Did I do this?"_

_Jack weakly looked up at him, nodding._

_Ryan covered his mouth and began backing up, his breath shaky and uneven_

_Jack reached out to him, and tried to say something to soothe the man, however he was in too much pain. All he could manage to sputter out was "Ry... I underst-"  before flinching in pain, because he did. It was obvious Ryan had not been able to control his own actions, so Jack didn't blame him._

_Ryan began shaking his head back and forth, "No, no no! Jack I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-" a door rose behind him and he backed into it. He disappeared into the darkness and was replaced with someone Jack had never seen before in a pink hood. His vision slowly began to blur as the pain became too much for him. The person knelt beside him and silently began tending to his wounds as his vision faded and he blacked out._

 

_\---_

 

 

Jack woke with a jolt as his door was swung open. He tried to turn to look, but his chest was still in pain, even after what Jack had to guess was a month after the incident. "I'm still not well enough to do anything." he called out to whoever entered. 

"Well fuck, how are we going to get out out of here then?" the voice replied.

Jack laughed despite the pain in his chest, "Geoff, you piece of shit. What took you so long?"

Geoff and someone Jack had never seen before came to his sides and helped him up. Geoff gave an apologetic smile, "Sorry, I guess I sort of gave up."

Jack nodded in understanding, then tilted his head to the younger lad, "Who's this."

"Caleb" The guy replied curtly

Geoff reached over Jack and patted Caleb on the shoulder. "He's the reason we're getting outta here!"

Jack smiled for the first time in who knows how long, "I owe you my life then, Caleb."

Caleb blushed, "Oh, It's not me you should be thanking.I mean we would have never gotten here if it wasn't for Lindsay."

Jack blinked in surprise, "Lindsay's here?"

Caleb nodded, "She's been scouring the world for you guys. I've just been there for the ride." there was a short pause before Caleb murmered, "She really loves you guys. Heh. I wonder what it feels like to have someone care for you that much."

Geoff and Jack exchanged glances, unsure what to say. Instead Geoff simply said, "Lets just look for Ray, Gavin, Michael, and Ryan then find Lindsay."

Jack's face darkened at Ryan's name, but he decided to keep what he knew to himself, for now.


	13. Great Frustration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wrote this on mobile, so Ill go back and try to fix any errors later

True to his word, Kdin lead Ray into the next door they saw. The room itself seemed endless due to its pure white , though in reality it was most likely cramped. A man in green garb sat curled up on his bed, making incoherent hissing sounds.

"Gavin!" Ray cried.

Gavin didn't even acknowledge that Ray spoke. Ray let go of Kdin and shuffled towards Gavin, nearly collapsing in the process, but luckily catching himself. He reached out to touch Gavin, but before it could, the man began speaking.

"Oh, Gavin Free, you've finally lost it haven't you?" He gave a genuine laugh, "It was a matter of time, honestly. After going so long with your only company being the hissing of hundreds of creepers, it wasn't too surprising I'd start hearing Ray's voice!"

A shiver went down Kdin's spine as he imagined what could have pushed this man so over the edge. 

"Come on Vav, keep a grip would you?" Gavin mimicked. "We most likely have it worse than you! We could all be in excruciating pain while all you have is a little shock, what a wuss!"

Ray frowned and grabbed Gavin's shoulder. "Gavin, snap out of it. We have to get out of here."

Gavin shook his head, "I'm still sane enough to know you're not real. I'm not going to listen."

He turned the man to face him, "It's really me. It's really X-Ray."

The man began trembling slightly and reached out to touch Ray, just to make sure he was real. Ray smiled warmly seeing he might have finally gotten trough to the man. But then he quickly recoiled and shook his head violently. "No, no, NO! You aren't real! Just go away, leave me alone!"

Kdin stepped in, "Ray, I don't think he's going to see reason. I know you wont like it, but maybe we should just lea-" 

"No We aren't leaving him in this hell hole, just let me try something."

"The floor's all yours."

Ray looked at Gavin, trying to get eye contact, however the green eyes kept averting his. Ray sighed, "I'm really sorry about this."

He lifted a hand in the air and brought it down on Gavin, backhanding him with all the strength he had left. 

Gavin whimpered and caressed his cheek. He finally looked Ray in the eyes. "Ray?"

Ray nodded, "The one and only."

Gavin's eyes began to tear up and he lunged forward, hugging Ray. It either were any pain, they didn't show it as they shared the moment.

Kdin silently watched for what he hoped was an appropriate amount if time before he cleared his throat.

Ray looked up and nodded, "Come on, Gav, let's find the others and get out of here." 

Gavin nodded, then looked at Kdin. "Who's this bloke?" 

"Kdin."

"Alright then Kdin, Ray, I say its about time we get out of here."

 

\---

 

The three attempted to locate other doors or the way out, to no prevail. However they did find something different from the grey hallways. They came across the wide corridor containing all the their imprisonments. The three continued, feeling a bit uneasy.

when they came to Gavin's window, he gasped, "This... This is my room!" 

when they reached his window, Ray added, "And this was mine."

Kdin tilted his head, "Does that mean the rest of the rooms belong to your friends?"

Ray nodded, "It's likely. But where are they then? They all seem empty."

Gavin, who was now at the end of the hall, gasped, "Michael! Michael's over here!" Kdin and Ray rushed over, and just as Gavin claimed, Michael sat on his bed, examining his sword. "How do we get him out? There's no door leading in on this side. 

Kdin had wandered over to the shattered window across from Michael's. "Wonder what happened here." He murmered.

He backed up to examine the scene, when suddenly there was a shout and Lindsay came barreling out of the next room and right into Kdin.


	14. Memories Jolted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and thus ends my bout of short chapters (HahAh this one wasn't that short

"Lindsay, what the fuck?!" Kdin shouted as he pushed the redhead off him.

Lindsay stood up, panicked, "We have to get out of here!"

Kdin placed his hands on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down, "Calm down, what has you so worked up?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by Gavin shouting excitedly, "Lindsay you're here! I would have never guessed you two knew each other!" There was a pause then he continued, "Man alive! And Ryan's with you too! Our luck just keeps getting better and better!"

Lindsay's gaze snapped back to Gavin just in time to see him take a step towards Ryan, who now stood in the door frame. "Gavin, stay back!" She shouted.

He stopped in his tracks and chuckled, "Lindsay, what you going on about? It's just Ry-" Suddenly a sword swung out, barely missing him. Lindsay didn't want to know what would have happened if he hadn't listened to her words. Gavin's face had gone as white as a sheet. "Ryan...?"

She turned to Kdin, "Grab Ray, we need to get out of here."

Kdin nodded and guided Ray out while Lindsay took Gavin, who hadn't recovered from the shock of Ryan lashing out at him. They ran through hallway after hallway, but Ryan didn't let up as easily as he had the first time he pursued Lindsay.

Ray wasn't fending off as well as the rest. Having to stay still for a long time, just to transition to sprinting for a long period of time wasn't an easy task.  So he made sure to point  out the red door coming up on their left as soon as it came into view.

The four headed straight to it. After they all had gotten in, Lindsay and Kdin dragged a bed in the corner of the room to use as a barricade until they thought of a plan. There was an eerie silence before a loud banging was heard from the door. "Shit." Ray groaned, "What are we going to do?"

Lindsay shook her head, "I don't know."

Gavin, who had slumped onto the floor, sat with his head in his hands, lifting them once in a while to look at the other three. All of these recent events were stressing him out, and in his condition, who knew what would happen as a result.

Kdin began pacing. "W can't just wait for that psychopath to break in and kill us!"

Lindsay nodded, "I know, but we don't have very many options."

"Guys..." Gavin whispered, his eyes widened.

Ray knelt down in front of him, "Don't worry Gavin, just take deep breaths. You're fine."

"Kdin, how long do you think the door will hold?"

"Maybe five minutes, seeing as it's base is iron."

"Guys." Gavin persisted, but was ignored.

"Ray and Gavin will have to hide, seeing as they are weaponless at the moment."

"I don't want to just hide like a coward!"

"Look at you! You're not exactly fit to fight!"

"I have a dagger, you can use it to protect yourself if anything."

"You guys!" Gavin shouted. All three turned to the man still currently on the floor to see him pointing a shaky finger at the far corner of the room. Up until just then they had neglected to observe the entire room. But at that moment they all stared to see a frightened Michael Jones gripping his sword. 

Lindsay was the first to react. "Michael!" She rushed over, but was met with the end of his sword. She was unable to hide the hurt in her eyes. 

"Why the fuck are you here?" He hissed

"We're here to save you." She replied as if she couldn't believe that was even a question he was asking. 

He shook his head, "No. Kerry only lets in people who deserve to die in here."

A picture of the person in the pink hood flashed in her mind. "Michael, you wouldn't believe I deserved to die, would you?"

Michael took a step back and gripped his head. "I- I don't know. Kerry has only ever let in very bad people, why would that change now?"

Kdin shouted from the back, "I don't know how much longer the door's going to hold guys!"

Lindsay blinked, she wanted to stay strong, but so much has happened so fast and It was more than she could emotionally handle. "I can't believe you're thinking of killing us!"

"It's not like I want to!" He screamed, "But if-"

Ray stepped up besides Lindsay, but she held out her hand, "No, this is something I have to deal with." She took a deep breath, now wasn't the time to let her emotions get the better of her. "Michael. they are your best friends." She gestured to Ray and Gavin. "I am your wife. I can't believe you would even FUCKING THINK of laying a hand on any of us. That is not the man I married."

Michael didn't reply, nor did he make any advancements. He just stood there rooted to the spot, as if having an internal battle with himself. 

Kdin's voice echoed through the room again, "What are we going to do? This door is busting any second!"

Ray pitched in, "Lindsay, it's no use, you're just not getting through to him!"

Lindsay groaned. She couldn't just leave him there, he could change his mind and attack them, and she didn't thin they'd be able to handle both Ryan and Michael. She had to do something while he was distracted. She lunged forward, and engulfed him in a hug, "Michael, I'm so sorry you had to go through all of this, but we need you. Please." It seemed as if not even that had worked, because he just stood there not moving a muscle, as if he had malfunctioned or something. Finally, she let her tears flow. 

At the sound of his love's sobs, Michael blinked, and slowly wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry, too." He whispered back.

Kdin was now yelling, "Get ready! The hinges aren't going to hold anymore!"

Michael stepped away, "Lindsay, guy I don't know" ("Kdin!") "Whatever. Move the bed."

Kdin threw his hands in the air, "Are you crazy?!"

"Yes."

The two complied and took its place holding the door back.

"What are you planning?" Ray questioned. 

Michael didn't reply as he dragged the bed towards the wall. He went to one of the long sides and with a mighty yell, lifted it, and swung it at the wall, shattering it.

Gavin blinked in shock, speaking more than one word since they'd entered the room, "How the hell did you break the wall?"

"It wasn't a wall. It was a one way window." Michael replied. Just then Kdin and Lindsay flew forward as Ryan busted through. It didn't take rocket science for Michael to realize they were trying to get away from him, he have to ask about it when they were safer. "Come on, hop through!" They all scrambled through the shattered window and into the large room once more.

"Shit! We just went in a circle!" Lindsay shouted. "Go back!" 

They all turned towards the corridor, just to find it blocked by Ryan and Kerry, who had seemingly appeared out of no where. "You're not going anywhere." Kerry laughed.

Michael, Lindsay, and Kdin raised their swords, ready to fight. "You can't keep us here, Kerry! We're leaving."

"No!" He shouted, "You're not leaving me, not again!" Neither Lindsay nor Kdin knew what he meant, but by Ray, Michael, and Gavin's knowing looks, they did. He raised his hands in the air and energy darker than an enderman flew out. it engulfed the room and all the people in it. 

Suddenly a large pair of purple eyes flew open and a mighty roar emitted. Everyone began trembling, besides Kdin, who gripped his sword tighter and grinned.

"My time has finally come."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also I forgot to mention (my bad 3: ) that the room Lindsay woke up in is HUGE


	15. Reliving the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some things are best left untold
> 
> but sometimes they still are

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait my internet was out alll week
> 
> Welcome to the "Why Kerry Does the Thing" flashback

_Geoff stood in awe, taking in the scene before the seven of them. Nothing he'd read about the altar could have prepared him for the beauty of seeing it in person. After months of searching they'd finally found it. Besides him, Gavin was grinning ear to ear. He remembered fondly the day Gavin had busted into his house, carrying books and maps about the geography of the hunters' little world and babbling incoherently about a forest of gold._

_That all seemed like a distant memory now._

_He turned looking at the others. Michael and Jack, who had been the most skeptical, now had their mouths agape and a wondrous glint in their eyes. Ray stood a little behind Gavin, with the same childish grin. Ryan had his famous smirk plastered on his face and his hand resting on the shoulder of their newest member, who had only joined them a few weeks after the start of their journey, Kerry. The boy himself was laughing in amazement._

_He remembered the day they'd met Kerry. The guy had been practicing magic in front of his house, when they had happened to walk by. He had been only able to get a few sparks to appear, before sighing in defeat. Ray had nudged Ryan, "Why don't you give him a few pointers o' almighty sorcerer?"_

_Ryan rolled his eyes, "Shut up."_

_Jack nodded, not catching on to the sarcasm, "Why not? We'll be in town for a day or so getting supplies. Go help the poor kid."_

_Ray gave Ryan a shit eating grin, "Yeah, go help the poor kid." Gavin snickered besides him._

_Ryan sighed in defeat, "Okay. Come get me in like an hour or something." He then parted from the group and made his way over to the house._

_\- - -_

_A few hours later the five made their way back to Ryan. To their surprise, he was having an enthusiastic conversation with the guy, he had even pulled out his book of spells and enchantments and was showing it off. " I think Ryan might have found his son." Michael had whispered when they were in earshot of the two._

_Jack nodded, "Yeah, they look quite alike too."_

_"A diamond says Ryan's going to try to adopt him." Gavin had added._

_Just then Ryan had looked up and spotted them. He had motioned for his new friend to walk follow him and he walked over. "Guys, this is Kerry." Kerry waved to them and all of them returned the gesture a few of them even giving a "hello". "He's the fastest learner I've ever seen! In just a few hours he's improved tremendously! I would really love to continue helping him." besides him, Kerry was nodding his head vigorously._

_Geoff sighed. He already knew what Ryan was asking and he wasn't sure how he felt about it. "I'll think about it."_

_Ryan grinned and then turned to Kerry, "Okay, great! We'll continue tomorrow, bye Kerry."_

_"Bye Ryan."_

_Right after Kerry had returned to his house Ryan turned to Geoff. "Can we please keep him?" Geoff rolled his eyes. He felt like he was babysitting a bunch of children sometimes. In the back of the group, Michael had slid a diamond into Gavin's palm. "Geoff, please."_

_"Alright, fine. Just shut the fuck up." He said, however he had a grin on his face. And just like that their ragtag group of six became seven._

 

_\- - -_

 

_Months had past and Ryan and Kerry's friendship grew significantly. They spent every waking moment together, practicing magic or just chatting. The others had found it amusing and often liked to tease them about it._

_"So when are you two announcing your engagement?" Ray had questioned one day._

_Ryan glared at Ray, he'd seen that comment coming a mile away. "As soon as Gavin can't fire an arrow with his bow."  
_

_Michael began looming behind Gavin, much to his discomfort. "That could be arranged." He replied ominously_

_Ray ignored the exchange, "Obviously I'm going to be the flower girl. Rose petals everywhere. It will be glorious."_

_Even though Kerry wasn't condoning to the thought of  marriage, he didn't really like the idea of roses, thorns were too sharp. He_ _forced a laugh, he still wasn't use to being poked at, but he didn't want to seem like an asshole, "Who's the bride and who's the groom."_

_"Oh, well Ryan of course. Sorry Kerry, but you just have a feminine air about you." Gavin replied_

_Kerry felt a twang of hurt at the low blow. Gavin seemed use to being the center of attention and had no regard for what came out of his mouth, and Kerry didn't like it._

_Gavin continued, "Michael could marry you. I could just Imag-"_

_"Gavin, that's enough." Michael interrupted before the guy could say anything he could regret._ _Kerry smiled slightly, glad the topic was dropped. Michael was surprisingly good at keeping the peace, he mused._

_As the group continued idly chatting Jack and Ryan had moved away and begun planning a route. Their similar voices intertwined, making it difficult to understand who was saying what. 'I wonder who would win in a fight.' Kerry thought offhandedly._

_Jack and Ryan stood up and walked over to Geoff, continuing the discussion for a little longer. When they ceased talking, Geoff suddenly kicked off the ground and yelled, "Alright dickweeds get ready, we're leaving in five minutes. Better get your shit together." After the announcement he floated back to the ground and returned to discussing with the two men besides him._

_As they packed, Kerry leaned over to Michael, "Hey, I thought Geoff didn't practice magic."_

_"He doesn't" was the reply._

_"Then how is he able to float like that?"_

_Michael glanced around, as if to make sure no one else was listening. "Geoff doesn't like talking about this, but he's from the bloodline of the creator himself."_

_Kerry's eyes widened in shock, "No shit?"_

_"No shit."_

_After everyone was packed off they headed off, none of them knowing the next time they stopped would be in front of the Altar._

 

_\- - -_

 

_The seven stepped into the Altar, still lost for words. Jack pulled out his map and marked the place of the Altar for future purposes._

_"This must have been built by some maxed out pimps." Ray commented idly_

_Geoff grinned, "The Altar of Pimps. I like it."_

_The group spent the next few days there just exploring. by the fifth day they still hadn't been able to explore the whole thing. At that moment five out of the six of them sat under a golden tree, surrounding a fire. Jack had wanted to explore a bit more before they left, and he still hadn't returned. They were beginning to worry when suddenly a shout was heard. "Guys! Check this out!" They all headed towards the source of the voice to discover Jack standing in front of a hidden cavern examining a tower of gold resting atop an obsidian block. "I've never seen anything like this." Jack breathed._

_"We are defiantly making one of these when we get back." Geoff stated._

_"If there's any gold left." Ryan muttered ._

_Gavin jumped up and down, pleased with the thought that had popped into his head. "A tower of pimps!" He exclaimed._

 

_\- - -_

_They all exited the Altar of Pimps, Kerry holding a solid gold sapling. "Now what?" he asked._

_Geoff sighed, "We part ways I guess."_

_Kerry nearly dropped the sapling, "What? After all this you guys are just leaving?!"_

_Geoff shrugged, "Yeah? I mean we'll stay in touch, but we have other things we have to do."_

_Kerry scratched the back of his neck, feeling a bit anxious, "W- well couldn't I come with you?"_

_Ryan sighed and placed his hand on Kerry's shoulder, "Sorry, no matter how much I'd love it, it just wouldn't work."_

_"You guys are like my best friends, I can't believe you're just leaving, like poof. gone. I- I-"_

_"Calm down, Kerry."_

_"I'm not going to calm down, Jack! I have nothing in my life! You guys changed that and now you're taking it away!"_

_Ryan tried reasoning, "Kerry, listen to Jack. If you continue to let your emotion's surge like this you could create a fluctuation in your magic and-"_

_"NO!" Kerry screamed. Suddenly a pulse emitted from him and knocked out the men around him. Kerry stood there in shock for a moment unsure about what exactly happened._

_"Now what?" He whispered to himself._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am total shit at writing expositions


End file.
